westward ho-第107章

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o　more　of　his　companions　burnt　alive　at　Seville；　was　sentenced　to　row　in　the　galleys　ten　years；　and　after　that　to　go　to　the　〃everlasting　prison　remediless；〃　from　which　doom；　after　twenty…　three　years　of　slavery；　he　was　delivered　by　the　galleon　Dudley；　and　came　safely　home　to　Redriff。

The　fate　of　Hortop　and　his　comrades　was；　of　course；　still　unknown　to　the　rescued　men；　but　the　history　even　of　their　party　was　not　likely　to　improve　the　good　feeling　of　the　crew　toward　the　Spanish　ship　which　was　two　miles　to　leeward　of　them；　and　which　must　be　fought　with；　or　fled　from；　before　a　quarter　of　an　hour　was　past。　So；　kneeling　down　upon　the　deck；　as　many　a　brave　crew　in　those　days　did　in　like　case；　they　〃gave　God　thanks　devoutly　for　the　favor　they　had　found；〃　and　then　with　one　accord；　at　Jack's　leading；　sang　one　and　all　the　Ninety…fourth　Psalm：*


　　　　　〃Oh；　Lord；　thou　dost　revenge　all　wrong；　　　　　　　　Vengeance　belongs　to　thee；〃　etc。


*　The　crew　of　the　Tobie；　cast　away　on　the　Barbary　coast　a　few　years　after；　〃began　with　heavy　hearts　to　sing　the　twelfth　Psalm；　'Help；　Lord；　for　good　and　godly　men；'　etc。　　Howbeit；　ere　we　had　finished　four　verses；　the　waves　of　the　sea　had　stopped　the　breaths　of　most。〃


And　then　again　to　quarters；　for　half　the　day's　work；　or　more　than　half；　still　remained　to　be　done；　and　hardly　were　the　decks　cleared　afresh；　and　the　damage　repaired　as　best　it　could　be；　when　she　came　ranging　up　to　leeward；　as　closehauled　as　she　could。

She　was；　as　I　said；　a　long　flush…decked　ship　of　full　five　hundred　tons；　more　than　double　the　size；　in　fact；　of　the　Rose；　though　not　so　lofty　in　proportion；　and　many　a　bold　heart　beat　loud；　and　no　shame　to　them；　as　she　began　firing　away　merrily；　determined；　as　all　well　knew；　to　wipe　out　in　English　blood　the　disgrace　of　her　late　foil。

〃Never　mind；　my　merry　masters；〃　said　Amyas；　〃she　has　quantity　and　we　quality。〃

〃That's　true；〃　said　one；　〃for　one　honest　man　is　worth　two　rogues。〃

〃And　one　culverin　three　of　their　footy　little　ordnance；〃　said　another。　　〃So　when　you　will；　captain；　and　have　at　her。〃

〃Let　her　come　abreast　of　us；　and　don't　burn　powder。　　We　have　the　wind；　and　can　do　what　we　like　with　her。　　Serve　the　men　out　a　horn　of　ale　all　round；　steward；　and　all　take　your　time。〃

So　they　waited　for　five　minutes　more；　and　then　set　to　work　quietly；　after　the　fashion　of　English　mastiffs；　though；　like　those　mastiffs；　they　waxed　right　mad　before　three　rounds　were　fired；　and　the　white　splinters　（sight　beloved）　began　to　crackle　and　fly。

Amyas；　having；　as　he　had　said；　the　wind；　and　being　able　to　go　nearer　it　than　the　Spaniard；　kept　his　place　at　easy　point…blank　range　for　his　two　eighteen…pounder　culverins；　which　Yeo　and　his　mate　worked　with　terrible　effect。

〃We　are　lacking　her　through　and　through　every　shot；〃　said　he。　〃Leave　the　small　ordnance　alone　yet　awhile；　and　we　shall　sink　her　without　them。〃

〃Whing；　whing；〃　went　the　Spaniard's　shot；　like　so　many　humming…　tops；　through　the　rigging　far　above　their　heads；　for　the　ill…　constructed　ports　of　those　days　prevented　the　guns　from　hulling　an　enemy　who　was　to　windward；　unless　close　alongside。

〃Blow；　jolly　breeze；〃　cried　one；　〃and　lay　the　Don　over　all　thou　canst。What　the　murrain　is　gone；　aloft　there？〃

Alas！　a　crack；　a　flap；　a　rattle；　and　blank　dismay！　　An　unlucky　shot　had　cut　the　foremast　（already　wounded）　in　two；　and　all　forward　was　a　mass　of　dangling　wreck。

〃Forward；　and　cut　away　the　wreck！〃　said　Amyas；　unmoved。　　〃Small　arm　men；　be　ready。　　He　will　be　aboard　of　us　in　five　minutes！〃

It　was　too　true。　　The　Rose；　unmanageable　from　the　loss　of　her　head…　sail；　lay　at　the　mercy　of　the　Spaniard；　and　the　archers　and　musqueteers　had　hardly　time　to　range　themselves　to　leeward；　when　the　Madre　Dolorosa's　chains　were　grinding　against　the　Rose's；　and　grapples　tossed　on　board　from　stem　to　stern。

〃Don't　cut　them　loose！〃　roared　Amyas。　　〃Let　them　stay　and　see　the　fun！　　Now；　dogs　of　Devon；　show　your　teeth；　and　hurrah　for　God　and　the　queen！〃

And　then　began　a　fight　most　fierce　and　fell：　the　Spaniards；　according　to　their　fashion；　attempting　to　board；　the　English；　amid　fierce　shouts　of　〃God　and　the　queen！〃　〃God　and　St。　George　for　England！〃　sweeping　them　back　by　showers　of　arrows　and　musquet　balls；　thrusting　them　down　with　pikes；　hurling　grenades　and　stink…　pots　from　the　tops；　while　the　swivels　on　both　sides　poured　their　grape；　and　bar；　and　chain；　and　the　great　main…deck　guns；　thundering　muzzle　to　muzzle；　made　both　ships　quiver　and　recoil；　as　they　smashed　the　round　shot　through　and　through　each　other。

So　they　roared　and　flashed；　fast　clenched　to　each　other　in　that　devil's　wedlock；　under　a　cloud　of　smoke　beneath　the　cloudless　tropic　sky；　while　all　around；　the　dolphins　gambolled；　and　the　flying…fish　shot　on　from　swell　to　swell；　and　the　rainbow…hued　jellies　opened　and　shut　their　cups　of　living　crystal　to　the　sun；　as　merrily　as　if　man　had　never　fallen；　and　hell　had　never　broken　loose　on　earth。

So　it　raged　for　an　hour　or　more；　till　all　arms　were　weary；　and　all　tongues　clove　to　the　mouth。　　And　sick　men；　rotting　with　scurvy；　scrambled　up　on　deck；　and　fought　with　the　strength　of　madness；　and　tiny　powder…boys；　handing　up　cartridges　from　the　hold；　laughed　and　cheered　as　the　shots　ran　past　their　ears；　and　old　Salvation　Yeo；　a　text　upon　his　lips；　and　a　fury　in　his　heart　as　of　Joshua　or　Elijah　in　old　time；　worked　on；　calm　and　grim；　but　with　the　energy　of　a　boy　at　play。　　And　now　and　then　an　opening　in　the　smoke　showed　the　Spanish　captain；　in　his　suit　of　black　steel　armor；　standing　cool　and　proud；　guiding　and　pointing；　careless　of　the　iron　hail；　but　too　lofty　a　gentleman　to　soil　his　glove　with　aught　but　a　knightly　sword…hilt：　while　Amyas　and　Will；　after　the　fashion　of　the　English　gentlemen；　had　stripped　themselves　nearly　as　bare　as　their　own　sailors；　and　were　cheering；　thrusting；　hewing；　and　hauling；　here；　there；　and　everywhere；　like　any　common　mariner；　and　filling　them　with　a　spirit　of　self…respect；　fellow…feeling；　and　personal　daring；　which　the　discipline　of　the　Spaniards；　more　perfect　mechanically；　but　cold　and　tyrannous；　and　crushing　spiritually；　never　could　bestow。　　The　black…plumed　senor　was　obeyed；　but　the　golden…locked　Amyas　was　followed；　and　would　have　been　followed　through　the　jaws　of　hell。

The　Spaniards；　ere　five　minutes　had　passed；　poured　en　masse　into　the　Rose's　waist；　but　only　to　their　destruction。　　Between　the　poop　and　forecastle　（as　was　then　the　fashion）　the　upper…deck　beams　were　left　open　and　unplanked；　with　the　exception　of　a　narrow　gangway　on　either　side；　and　off　that　fatal　ledge　the　boarders；　thrust　on　by　those　behind；　fell　headlong　between　the　beams　to　the　main…deck　below；　to　be　slaughtered　helpless　in　that　pit　of　destruction；　by　the　double　fire　from　the　bulkheads　fore　and　aft；　while　the　few　who　kept　their　footing　on　the　gangway；　after　vain　attempts　to　force　the　stockades　on　poop　and　forecastle；　leaped　overboard　again　amid　a　shower　of　shot　and　arrows。　　The　fire　of　the　English　was　as　steady　as　it　was　quick；　and　though　three…fourths　of　the　crew　had　never　smelt　powder　before；　they　proved　well　the　truth　of　the　old　chronicler's　saying　（since　proved　again　more　gloriously　than　ever；　at　Alma；　Balaklava；　and　Inkerman）；　that　〃the　English　never　fight　better　than　in　their　first　battle。〃

Thrice　the　Spaniards　clambered　on　board；　and　thrice　surged　back　before　that　deadly　hail。　　The　decks　on　both　sides　were　very　shambles；　and　Jack　Brimblecombe；　who　had　fought　as　long　as　his　conscience　would　allow　him；　found；　when　he　turned　to　a　more　clerical　occupation；　enough　to　do　in　carrying　poor　wretches　to　the　surgeon；　without　giving　that　spiritual　consolation　which　he　longed　to　give；　and　they　to　receive。　　At　last　there　was　a　lull　in　that　wild　storm。　　No　shot　was　heard　from　the　Spaniard's　upper…deck。

Amyas　leaped　into　the　mizzen　rigging；　and　looked　through　the　smoke。　Dead　men　he　could　descry　through　the　blinding　veil；　rolled　in　heaps；　laid　flat；　dead　men　and　dying：　but　no　man　upon　his　feet。　The　last　volley　had　swept　the　deck　clear；　one　by　one　had　dropped　below　to　escape　that　fiery　shower：　and　alone　at　the　helm；　grinding　his　teeth　with　rage；　his　mustachios　curling　up　to　his　very　eyes；　stood　the　Spanish　captain。

Now　was　the　moment　for　a　counter…stroke。